31 July 2017

The Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch

Attending the commemorations for the centenary of the beginning of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium, The Duchess of Cambridge wore a brooch borrowed from The Queen's jewel vault. The Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch is a large piece featuring three big pearls at the center of a diamond leaf shape.

This piece is something of an obscure member of The Queen's brooch collection. Its provenance is so far unknown and its appearances are scarce; The Queen most notably wore it during a State Visit to South Korea in 1999 (you can see a photo of her wearing it here at the Royal Jewels of the World Message Board). Now the brooch has joined the growing collection of pieces loaned by The Queen to other members of the Royal Family, a collection which certainly makes one wonder if Her Majesty has recently been sorting through some of the many pieces she never wears these days.

Brooches are not really a regular part of The Duchess of Cambridge's wardrobe, but her use of the Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch - together with the Collingwood Pearl and Diamond Earrings from the collection of the late Diana, Princess of Wales (first worn for the Spanish state banquet) - adds a nice touch of extra formality for a significant remembrance occasion.